SAMOA PRIME MINISTER APOLOGISES OVER NAZI SALUTE VIDEO

Samoa's Prime Minister, La'auli Leuatea Schmidt, has apologised after a video circulating on social media showed him making a Nazi salute and saying "Heil Hitler". Schmidt said the footage was filmed at a family gathering almost 20 years ago. He said the video was never meant to become public. The apology was issued on Monday, according to reports. The footage had resurfaced and spread on social media before Schmidt responded publicly.

In the footage, Schmidt is shown leading those around him in the gesture during the gathering, according to reports. He has not disputed that the video is genuine. One report described Schmidt as a supporter of Israel. Reports have not disclosed who filmed the video, the precise date it was recorded beyond the approximate timeframe given, or how it came to be shared publicly. The exact location of the family gathering has also not been reported.

Schmidt's apology has drawn coverage beyond Samoa, with multiple outlets reporting on the video and his response to it. It remains unclear whether the Samoan government plans any further statement or action regarding the matter. No reaction from other Samoan political figures has been reported. Whether the video will have any lasting political consequences for Schmidt has not been confirmed. For now, his public apology stands as the only official response to the footage.